More frequent water limitations likely change plant N demands, but few studies have explored the effect of water and nitrogen (N) together on soil N dynamics. A field experiment was conducted to examine in-situ net N mineralization (Nmin), soil enzyme activity, maize N uptake and grain yield in the Great Plains Region in response to two levels of water availability (100% and 70...
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a promising technique for waste management, producing energy and contributing to nutrient recycling in agroecosystems. While digestates have higher plant-available nutrient contents, they may be prone to increased ammonia (NH3) losses due to elevated pH values and ammonium contents. This study investigates NH3 emissions from an agricultural digestate...
Simulation models are an important tool to predict how farming practices influence utilisation and loss of nitrogen (N). However, many simulation exercises lack sufficient validation of N dynamics from both soil and fertiliser sources and rely on single or a few measurable N pools, potentially shifting bias from one pool to another. This study evaluated the capacity of...
This study aimed to better understand nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) cycling through litterfall in smallholder cocoa agroforestry systems and to assess if these nutrient flows can be measured using standard litterbags. Annual litter production, relative mass loss, and nutrient loss rates from cocoa leaf litter were evaluated in three farms in south-western...
Recycling nutrients contained in urban wastes to agriculture is essential in a circular economy. This study simultaneously compares different recycled fertilizers (household waste compost, sewage sludge, human urine) with mineral fertilization and animal manures. Tested were their long-term effects on yield, nutrient budgets, potentially toxic element (PTE) accumulation, and...
Winter cover crops (CCs) provide substantial agronomic and environmental benefits, yet their influence on nitrogen (N) fertilization requirements and yield outcomes for subsequent crops remains underexplored. This study investigates the economic optimal nitrogen rates (EONRs) and corresponding yield effects for first (silage maize or sugar beet) and second (winter wheat...
The extent to which Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices alter nitrogen (N) balance in intensive rice-based cropping systems of the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain was examined, focusing on a legume dominated-system (LDS) and a cereal dominated-system (CDS) in north-west Bangladesh. Three crop establishment methods were imposed—strip planting (SP) and bed planting (BP) for non...
Global agriculture is the largest anthropogenic source for nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. During crop rotations, periods with arable soils without crops, thereafter called “bare soils” are often impossible to avoid after the crop is harvested, prior to sowing of the next crop. However, such periods are underrepresented in studies focussing on N2O emissions. Here, we present...
Cover crops offer a potential biogas feedstock, and to enable continuous operation of the biogas plant, ensiling can be used for biomass preservation. The aim of the present study was to assess the environmental impacts of biogas production at an organic dairy farm for two modelled scenarios: (1) harvesting and ensiling of cover crops and cereal straw and co-digestion with cattle...
Rice is the third largest agricultural commodity in the world. Intensive rice production is associated with high fertilizer application, and vast quantities of rice straw are often disposed of by open burning. As emissions of N and P from fertilizer and their impacts are highly spatially disparate, it is crucial to locally assess potential solutions for nutrient circularity. A...
The Green Revolution rapidly increased India’s food production since the 1960s, but excessive synthetic fertilizer use caused severe environmental problems. Our spatially explicit analysis for 1970–2020 indicates an uneven distribution of the dramatic increase of surpluses of India’s soil N (4.3 to 21.6 Tg N/year) and P budget (0.4 to 3.3 Tg P/year): with high surpluses in e.g...
Estimates of cropland nutrient budgets at national to global scale generally rely on regional or global mean coefficients for quantifying nutrients removed in crop yield and by-products. Use of such mean values masks the variability in these coefficients. Using maize and wheat as examples, we assessed variation in nutrient removal coefficients, namely harvest index (HI), nitrogen...
To promote sustainable food production, the European Union (EU) aims for a 25% organic agriculture area and a reduction of agricultural nutrient pollution by 50% by 2030. Organic farming is designed to rely on nutrient circularity, it has limited phosphorus (P) sources permitted, influencing the spatial distribution for P demand. Using dataset form the Farm Accountancy Data...
Recirculating hydroponic fertigation as used in high-tech greenhouses is over 95% nutrient-efficient, but relies on nutrients from finite mineral reserves. Moving away from conventional ‘linear’ fertilisers to ‘circular’ alternatives brings various questions. Whilst this has been investigated for open-field agriculture, in recirculating soilless greenhouse horticulture, many of...
The circular nutrient economy repurposes organic (formerly alive, containing organic carbon) and inorganic (mineral) recycled materials as fertilisers and soil ameliorants, and halving nitrogen (N) waste is a global goal. Our focus was unavoidable food waste and garden waste (FOGO food organics garden organics) as suitable feedstock for compost and use for cropping. We...
The significant contributions of anthropogenic activity to global warming are evidenced by the increasing average atmospheric temperatures and CO2 concentration. To date, data on the impact of global warming on crops, particularly field-scale fruit growth and the soil environment, remain lacking. Therefore, we conducted a 4-year monitoring experiment on semi-closed apple tree...
Mechanical weed control is a major element of weed suppression in organic farming systems. In addition to the direct effect on weed growth, mechanical weeding, such as harrowing or hoeing, is known to induce side effects on several soil- and crop-related properties. In this study, we investigated the impact of mechanical weeding on soil mineral nitrogen (SMN), soil moisture, and...
Cover cropping is a common practice among organic growers, well-known for its potential to supply nitrogen (N) to subsequent cash crops. Uncertainties and challenges exist in understanding how cover crops interact with soil properties and management practices across organic farms to supply N, and if such N supply is synchronous with subsequent cash crop N demand. An on-farm study...
With emerging water scarcity and rising fertilizer prices, optimising future water use while maintaining yield and nutrient efficiency in irrigated rice is crucial. Alternate wetting and moderate soil drying irrigation (i.e., re-irrigation when the water level reaches 15 cm below the soil surface) has proven to be an efficient water-saving technology in semi-arid zones of West...
In this short communication, we propose a framework that classifies methods for estimating crop nitrogen (N) input requirements along two dimensions: short-term versus long-term and current versus optimal crop management practices. The four resulting quadrants provide different perspectives on modelling methods, each distinctive in handling soil N supply, mineral versus organic N...
Soil acidity is a major constraint for food production in the Highlands of Ethiopia, the main cereal growing area. We conducted two field trials in nutrient-poor, acidic fields in the Highlands of Ethiopia to evaluate the effects of dolomitic lime at rates of 0, 6 and 12 t ha−1 on the utilization of commonly used phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) fertilizers. Blended fertilizer (at...